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Complex Dream-Enacting Behavior in Sleepwalking

From the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Frank Pillmann, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg Julius-Kuehn-Str.7 06097, Halle (Saale) Germany. E-mail: frank.pillmann{at}medizin.uni-halle.de

ABSTRACT

Objective: Currently, dream-enacting behaviors are viewed as occurring typically in association with a REM-sleep behavior disorder. In some cases, dream-like mentation is found also in non-REM parasomnia.

Methods: We report a case of complex and dramatic sleepwalking behavior in a 26-year-old adult male who tied his 4-month-old daughter to the clothesline in the attic of his house.

Results: The explanation of this seemingly senseless behavior, which was related to psychosocial stressors, was found in a detailed dream-like mentation that was reported by the patient. At the same time, an organic factor, namely, a worsening of the patient’s asthma, was identified as the cause of an increased fragmentation of sleep.

Conclusions: In some cases of non-REM parasomnia, detailed dream-like mentation may act as a bridge between psychosocial stressors and the specific parasomnic behavior.